Awareness,
Advocacy, Action to eradicate HIV[1]
Introduction:
HIV epidemic response is tied to HIV Vaccine, drugs
and to bio-social-medical transmission Strata. The first stratum has the
following transmission routes: penile-vaginal unprotected sex; mother-child
transmission; infected blood/body fluids exchange. The second stratum:
Un-protected anal-penetration/sex; un-protected vaginal-penetration/sex;
un-protected oral sex, re-infection from un-protected sex and prevention with
positives. At the third stratum one finds: infection as a result of occupation-related
hazards.
HIV Response with a Human Face:
Human beings are involved and disaggregating
practices, risks, behaviour (vulnerabilities) and population groups behind the
vulnerabilities will give one better planning and programming approaches.
Penile-vaginal
unprotected sex; mother-child transmission; infected blood/body fluids
exchange:
The strategies to address this: Abstinence, fidelity
and consistent condom use; treatment as prevention; family planning methods
integrating young persons’ friendly services, integrating HIV/STI prevention
methods; integrating HPV Immunization/cervical cancer examination,
conscientious breast-feeding under trained counsellors; introduction and use of
safe injections and blood/body fluids equipments that protect against
infections.
Un-protected
anal-penetration/sex; un-protected vaginal-penetration/sex; un-protected oral
sex, re-infection from un-protected sex and prevention with positives:
The strategies to address this: Abstinence, fidelity
and consistent condom use; treatment as prevention; family planning methods
integrating young persons, sex-work/LGBTIQQ/Injecting drug-user-friendly
HIV/STI prevention methods; integrating HPV Immunization/cervical cancer
examination, conscientious breast-feeding under trained counsellors;
introduction and use of safe injections and blood/body fluids equipments that
protect against infections; introduction and use of anal-oral-vaginal
protective prophylactics and; prevention as treatment.
Infection as a result of occupation-related
hazards:
The interventions include; introduction of safe
injections to avoid ‘needle-stick’ or re-use; Introduction and use of PEP/PrEP
and use of protective wear/HazMat to avoid infection with contaminated
blood/body fluids.
Evidence-based interventions arise as needs from
presenting communities, population groups or individuals. With time:
1. The population groups that face
unique vulnerabilities form self determination epochs to voice their needs as
one.
2. With better access, one notes
longer lives and change in demands.
As population groups continue to engage in self
determination this drives policy and programming level stakeholders need to
take into consideration the categories making unique demands. In the fight
against HIV these are the voices to listen to. Consider the three scenarios
below:
CASE 1:
A female sex-worker, who is also a mother of 2
children, approaches a health worker and reveals she wants to have another baby
but also continue as a sex-worker.
CASE 2:
A girl of 21 years, who was born with HIV, approaches
a social-worker and reveals she wants to have three children with a man who she
has decided will be the husband.
CASE 3:
A woman-who-has-sex-with-another woman (wsw)
approaches a health-worker and reveals she wants to have a child with a man.
Policy, programming level stakeholders need to factor
in population groups that constitute an emerging demography. With increased
transparency and accountability these population groups should be left to have
a larger hand in running the affairs of their organizations or spaces. Income
inequalities drive vulnerabilities. These need to be addressed through
employable skills’ empowerment. As we move towards 2015 empowering communities
against vulnerabilities is key in fighting and eradicating HIV.
[1]
This is part of the HIV MDG
Progress awareness, advocacy and Action Project. Follow us on: hivmdgprogressactivism.blogspot.com
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